Identity area
Reference code
SJCR/SJAC/1/2/Budden
Unique identifier
Title
Date(s)
- 1950-1969 (Creation)
Level of description
Sub-sub-series
Extent and medium
3 volumes, paper
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Kenneth Budden was born on 23rd June 1915 in Portsmouth, the son of George Easthope Budden, Engineer and Civil Servant, Admiralty, and Hannah Gertrude Homer Rea. He was admitted to St John’s in 1933 to study Natural Sciences where he chose to specialise in Physics. He graduated BA in 1936 and subsequently joined a research group in the Cavendish Laboratory working on the propagation of very-long-wavelength radio waves, being awarded his PhD in 1940.
Between 1939 and 1941 Budden was employed by the Telecommunications Research Establishment, before moving to the British Air Commission, Washington, DC 1941-1944. In 1945 he was engaged with Air Command, South-East Asia before working at Delanium Limited as Director of Research until 1947.
In 1947 he returned to the University of Cambridge and St John’s, initially as a University Demonstrator in Physics until 1953 when he became Lecturer in Physics, a position he held until 1965. Between 1965 and 1982 Budden achieved the position of Reader in Physics (Emeritus 1982). Parallel to this, at St John’s he was a Supervisor in Physics from 1947 to 1956, as well as Lecturer between 1956 and 1982, and Director of Studies for Physics 1961-77. He was also a Fellow of the College from 1947 until his death in 2005.
Budden wrote numerous books and papers on the propagation of radio waves, and in 1999 was awarded the Gold Medal of The Royal Astronomical Society in recognition of his contribution to Geophysics.
Obituary in The Eagle: Vol 88, 2006, p. 80
Archival history
Found in Dr Budden's rooms after his death, Oct. 2005.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Three indexed notebooks listing men admitted and performance in natural science subjects and maths, (probably) kept by Kenneth Budden while Supervisor and Director of Studies in Physics
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
- Vol 1: 1950-1953
- Vol 2: 1953-1956
- Vol 3: 1956-1969
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Material relating to living individuals is closed under the General Data Protection Regulations and can only be shared with that individual's permission